


The Mirror Broke

by MotherOftheUniverse



Series: The Stars Are Dying [1]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Amnesia, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dipper Pines is a Good Brother, Family Bonding, Filbrick Pines Is A Jerk, Fluff and Angst, Ford Pines is a Good Brother, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Mabel Pines is a Good Sister, Period Typical Attitudes, Period-Typical Sexism, Self-Harm, Stan Pines is a Good Brother, Young Stan Twins, timestuck au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:15:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23814439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MotherOftheUniverse/pseuds/MotherOftheUniverse
Summary: There were drops of blood on the floor, dripping from her wrist and down her finger tips. He stood there watching her, as time sat still.The mirror broke.Day by day, she seemed to waste away, growing gaunt and tired. Wouldn’t eat, wouldn’t sleep.She blamed herself for everything. Because despite all they did, he wouldn’t come back to them.If only he could give her a clean slate. If only everything could just start over.She was fading away.His mission was to fix it.Fix what, exactly? Well, that, he couldn’t quite remember.AKA: A Timestuck AU with a slight twist.
Relationships: Dipper Pines & Ford Pines, Dipper Pines & Mabel Pines, Dipper Pines & Stan Pines, Ford Pines & Mabel Pines, Ford Pines & Stan Pines, Mabel Pines & Stan Pines
Series: The Stars Are Dying [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1715821
Comments: 40
Kudos: 102





	1. Escapism

**Author's Note:**

> This idea came to me late one night and I couldn't stop thinking about it for the life of me. Well, now it's out here for all of you to see. I hope it brings enjoyment.

There were drops of blood on the floor, dripping from her wrist and down her finger tips. He stood there watching her, as time sat still. 

The mirror broke. 

Day by day, she seemed to waste away, growing gaunt and tired. Wouldn’t eat, wouldn’t sleep. 

Nobody was doing good. The tragedy still hung over their little house, as the wood continued to rot, and the world continued to fall apart. 

Their world at least. 

She blamed herself for everything. Because despite all they did, he wouldn’t come back to them. 

She was dying, slowly. Perhaps she was already dead. 

If only he could give her a clean slate. If only everything could just start over. 

She was fading away. 

His mission was to fix it. 

Fix what, exactly? Well, that, he couldn’t quite remember.

* * *

“Wait up!” 

“Yeah? You should keep up!”

“I-I can keep up!” 

Two little voices rang through the shores of Glass Shard Beach New Jersey, as a pair of boys ran across the yellow sand, looking for treasure. They were a pair of identical twins. They looked the exact same, from the shape of their eyes to the color of their noses. 

There were a few tells to distinguish the two of them. The first, and most obvious, being that one of the twins was born with six fingers on each hand, while the other had the normal amount of five. The other tell was how, while they both needed glasses, one actually wore them. The other had broken his own glasses so many times that their father had refused to buy him any more pairs, and the kid was a little too prideful to walk around with a pair of glasses held together by tape. 

Stanford Pines, the older and six-fingered twin, was a young genius, who was gifted in science and mathematics, as well as the kind of wisdom beyond his years that only a child could hold. He loved science fiction, and was invested in the weird and wondrous. 

Stanley, the younger twin, was, as his mother called him, a free spirit. The world could think the worst of him and he would keep on smiling, as long as he had his brother by his side. He loved adventure and art, but the most important thing to him was Stanford. If Ford was happy, he would be happy as well. 

The two little boys ran to a cave boarded up by wood. They took a peek inside. 

“Whoa!” Breathed Stanford, absolutely fascinated by the secrets that could be hidden in the darkness. 

“Neto!” Stanley exclaimed, wondering if there could be treasure or magic in that cave. Maybe a relic that could give him awesome powers like the hero’s in his comic books. Then he could soar around the city, fight crime, and save the day. “A mysterious boarded up cave!” 

“It might be filled with lost prehistoric life forms!” Stanford chimed. “Or meso-american gold!” 

Stanley almost laughed at the big words Stanford used. He probably couldn’t spell those if his life depended on it. But seeing Ford go into what Stan liked to call “nerd mode” was an enduring thing of its own. 

If he could go on adventures with his brother for the rest of his life, then he wouldn’t have been happier. 

“Uh, Ladies first,” Stanley teased, giving Stanford a mocking bow. His brother responded by punching him in the shoulder, so Stan punched back, the two of them laughing despite the sting in their arms. 

Stanford tried to pull some of the wood off the tunnel, but, as Stanley predicted, failed kind of miserably. 

Stanley laughed as Stanford landed butt-first onto the sand. “Good thing you got your smarts, Poindexter,” He teased. “I got the other thing! What is it called?” Stanley paused for dramatic effect. “Oh, right! Punching!” He declared, smashing a fist through the wood and giving him and his twin an entrance into the cave. Little slices of wood got stuck throughout his hand. Maybe it would’ve left _some_ ~~*cough*Crampelter*cough*~~ people hollering in pain, but not Stanley. 

“Cool! Splinters!” He declared triumphantly. 

Stanford turned on his flashlight and gave the cave a once over. “Whoa, it’s so creepy in here!” He declared. 

Stanley took the first step into the cave, pulling his brave pants on. “Don’t worry bro, wherever we go, we go together,” He promised. 

He meant every word in that sentence with absolute seriousness. 

“Don’t forget to leave our names so they know who owns the place,” Stanley reminded his brother, who took out a pen and ran to the wall. 

The two little boys drew their names on the wall, and wondered deeper into the cave, chanting “Pines! Pines! Pines!” as they went.

It was nineteen 60-something in Glass Shard Beach, New Jersey. Stanley and Stanford were the perfect team. They hoped that everything could last forever. 

“Whoa!” Stanley suddenly exclaimed, pointing to a broken little structure in the distance. 

“A shipwrecked sailboat! Possibly haunted by pirate ghosts!” Stanford cheered.

“This is the greatest thing I’ve ever seen!” Stanley declared. “And I once saw a dead rat floating in a bucket!” 

Stanford laughed, punching his brother in the shoulder. “Ew! What’s wrong with you!” 

“Huh, you know what this thing is missing?” Stanley asked his brother, who was, as usual, on the exact same page as he was. 

“Flags!” Stanford declared, as the two brothers ran towards the shipwreck to get a closer look. 

They peered over the rim. 

Inside, lying unconscious in the boat, where a young boy and girl who looked uncannily like them.

* * *

“Ok, I grabbed four sodas from home, a baseball bat just in case, and I stole some popsicles from the ice cream bar!” Stanley announced, carrying his goods using the belly of his large shirt. 

“Stan! Why’d you steal? We’re gonna get in trouble!” Stanford chastised his brother, though Stanley looked stubbornly unregretful. 

“I didn’t have any pocket money, and these two kids need those popsicles more than the ice cream lady does!” Stanley insisted. “What if they’re two magical kids from another planet! They’ll need all the food they can get if they’re gonna go save the world,” 

Stanford examined their clothing. The boy was wearing grey shorts, a red shirt, a blue vest, and a truckers hat with a pine tree on it. The girl was wearing a pink knitted sweater with a shooting star embroidered on it, and a purple skirt. “I don’t know, they’re clothing doesn’t look very alien to me,” 

“What about her sweater?” Stanley insisted, pointing to the girl. “It’s got a shooting star on it. She’s obviously from the stars!” 

Stanford couldn’t exactly argue with that. “It’s weird that they look like us. Did you also notice that?” 

“They could be our space siblings!” Stanley cheered. “Separated at birth by aliens, and now they’re back because they want to meet their awesome brothers!” 

Stanford gave his brother an enduring smile. “You’ve got a big imagination, don’t you Stanley?” 

“Well, I’m gonna be the best comic artist ever!” Stanley proclaimed. “Imagination is a necessity,” 

The two fell into a burst of giggles, that only stopped when the two kids they found in the boat started to mumble. 

Stanley and Stanford had taken them out of the boat and laid them close to it, in the soft sand inside the cave. The two of them had been very hot, so they figured it’d be better to keep them in the cool shade their little nook provided. 

“They’re waking up!” Ford cheered, as the two boys peered over the heads of the unconscious kids. 

The first thing the kids saw when they opened their eyes were the strangers looming faces. 

“Dipper, where are we?” The girl mumbled. 

The boy, Dipper apparently, groaned in response. “Urg, my head hurts. What were we doing?” 

“I can’t… “ The girl mumbled. “Remember… Where were we before?” 

“We were,” Dipper scrunches up his face in concentration, but his mind draws a blank. “I’m not… I think we were… home? Maybe?” 

“Home…” The girl hummed. “Where is home, again? I can’t remember,” 

“I can’t remember either,” Dipper muttered. He finally took notice of the two other kids in the room with him, and quickly backed up, throwing a protective arm in front of the girl. “Who are you two?! What do you want with me and my sister?” 

Stanley and Stanford looked at eachother, then looked back at the boy. “Nothing,” Stanford said quickly, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. “We just found you two asleep in that boat over there!” 

Dipper turned his head and glanced at said boat, before turning back to the strangers. 

Stanley quickly grabbed one of the bottles he brought with him. “Soda?” He asked. 

Dipper hesitated, but the girl took it the second he handed it out, drinking it down greedily. “So good!!” She chirped happily. 

Seeing that his sister was fine drinking it, Dipper held out his hand for another one. Stanford handed him the drink this time. 

“Hey, cool,” he said, looking at the boy's hand. “You’ve got six fingers, just like my… “ He trailed off. “Like my…” He tried to reach for a name, but couldn’t find anything. “Mabel, did we know somebody who had six fingers?” 

“You mean—” His sister chimed back, before stopping. “Um… You mean… I’m pretty sure we did… He… they… I can’t remember,” 

Stanford raised an eyebrow. “You can’t remember?” He asked. “Can you remember anything? How’d you get here? Where did you come from? Do you know who your parents are?” 

“Do you know who you are!?” Stanley added in frantically. 

“Well, I’m Mabel, and he’s Dipper,” The girl said. “We’re twins,” 

“I can’t remember how we got here. Or were we where,” Dipper hummed in contemplation. “But we come from… um… maybe California? I think?” 

“No, I’m pretty sure it was Organ,” Mabel corrected him. “Or maybe…” 

“You can’t remember where you used to live?” Stanford questioned. “What about family? Do you know who your family is?” 

Dipper and Mabel did their best to think, but nothing came to mind, aside from a few images. “I think we had a goldfish…” Mabel mumbled. The two of them suddenly realized what was going on.

“Oh god, Mabel!” Dipper panicked. “I can’t remember anything!” 

“Me neither!” Mabel shouted back. “I mean, I know that your my twin and I love you, and we had to have come from somewhere, but—” 

“There’s nothing else!” Dipper concluded for her. “I’m trying to remember who our parents are and my mind’s drawing a blank. I can’t think!” 

“Whoa, calm down,” Stanford quickly said. “It’s obvious that you two have amnesia, but panicking won’t do any good,” 

“Too late!” Mabel screeched. 

The twins were hyperventilating. Tears dripped out of Mabel's eyes as she wrapped her hands around her head and screamed, while Dipper ran over to a rock and threw up, then continued to dry-heave once there was nothing to throw up anymore. 

He ran back to his sister, wrapping his arms around her, doing his best to slow his breath. He had to calm Mabel down. She was having a panic attack, and he had to calm her down. He was the only person in the world who knew how to bring his twin out of a panic attack. Only he could do it! He had to do it. 

But he was panicking too. Because he couldn’t remember anything. He knew everything about Mabel, but he didn’t know _how_ he knew. He remembered she liked pancakes and sprinkles, but he can’t remember ever seeing her eat them. He remembered she liked to knit sweaters, but he can’t remember when she learned how to knit. 

He knew her, and he knew himself, but he didn’t really _know_ her, or himself. 

A tentative hand touched both their shoulders. “Hey, guys,” Stanley said softly. “It’s ok. It’s probably scary that you can’t remember anything, but you two obviously remember the most important thing of all! You remember that you love your twin,” He told them softly. “That might not be much, but it’s the greatest thing you’ll ever need to know,” 

He turned to his brother, smiling. Stanford smiled back, and wrapped his brother into a big hug. 

The other twins were finally able to register reality. “Yeah,” Mabel nodded her head, gripping onto her brother like a lifeline. “I remember that you're my twin, Dipper. I don’t need anything else,” 

Now that Mabel had calmed down, Dipper found himself being able to as well. “So, um, anyways,” He muttered, embarrassed, hoping to direct the topic away from his source of worry. He didn’t know what to do, and that was terrifying. But maybe the two kids who found them would know eventually. Best to befriend them first. “What’s your names,” 

“Oh, I’m Stanford Pines,” Stanford introduced himself. He didn’t hold out his hand to shake, though he’d been taught it was the polite thing to do. He formed a habit of specifically _not_ doing that, hoping to draw attention away from his fingers. Not that it mattered much; these kids already noticed his fingers, and where, quite thankfully, ok with them. 

“And I’m Stanley!” Stanley announced proudly. “We’re also twins, just like you!” 

Dipper and Mabel looked at eachother, and then back at the other set of twins, before laughing. 

“What’s so funny?” Stanley demanded. 

“Nothing,” Dipper assured them. “You two are just, Stan and Ford,” 

The two little boys glanced at each other. They hadn’t really thought of shortening their names, but it did make sense. And it was better than their dad just lumpily grouping them together as “A Stan”. 

“I guess we are,” Ford said with a shrug of his shoulders. “But what’s so funny about that,” 

Dipper shrugged. “I’m not sure, but I’ve got this weird feeling that whatever we’re doing, however we ended up here, it was _for_ a Stan and a Ford of our own,” 

“An awesome hat, and a weird old book,” Mabel hummed. “That was a part of it, wasn’t it?” 

The kids are silent, trying their best to keep those escaping images. A crimson fez, a large blue light, something… yellow, and laughing. 

The two both moaned as a sharp pain hit their heads at the same time. 

“You guys ok?” Stan asked. 

Dipper shrugged. “I think? I was about to remember something…” 

“Something gross and yellow,” Mabel shuttered. 

“Hey, what’s wrong with yellow?” Stan gasped, offended. “Yellow’s my most favorite color in the whole world!” 

“I thought your favorite color was red,” Ford laughed. 

“Nah, Sixer, that’s _your_ favorite color,” Stan laughed right back, giving his brother a punch in the shoulder. 

The two boys continued to laugh, while Dipper and Mabel exchanged a glance. Mabel offered her brother a reassuring smile, and Dipper smiled right back. 

They didn’t know how they got there. They didn’t know what they were doing. They barely even knew who they were. But they had each other. 

And something, call it a gut instinct, or maybe some strange hint of familiarity, told them that they would also have the two twin boys that they had just met. 

At least for a little while. 


	2. A Trace of Doubt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stan and Ford introduce their new friends to their mom and dad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Filbrick Pines is a dick. Let's just leave it at that for now.

The moment the new twins had finished re-nourishing themselves with sodas and ice pops, Stan and Ford lead them back to their house. 

“It’s in the lead paint district,” Stan explained to them. “So if you ever get lost, just follow the smell of lead paint until you get home,” 

“Or, you know, consult a map,” Ford offered up, figuring that was the more failsafe way to approach finding home. 

“Everything here feels so old-timey,” Mabel observed, narrowing her eyes at the cars that sped by, and the small kids left loose to run in the streets. She turned her head to the giant boxes that sat afront the TV store, playing cartoons and news and such. “I’m pretty sure TV’s don’t look like that unless they’re really old,” 

“Maybe you guys are time travelers from the future!” Stan chirped excitedly. “Or, maybe your from another planet where everything is high-tech,” 

“I don’t know,” Dipper said. “I mean, do you really think something supernatural would lead us here? This place feels so… normal,”

“You two could’ve sailed in on that boat we found,” Ford thought. “I mean, you two where in there before you woke up. Maybe you hit your head during the crash. It would explain the amnesia,” 

The four drifted into silence for a little bit, before Dipper broke it, stating; “For some reason, I feel like we don’t belong here. Like, as if us being in this place is messing up something,” 

Stan seemed to squirm in his place, though only Ford noticed it. “Hey, if you guys being here is messing up something, then maybe that thing  _ should _ be messed up!” He declared. 

“Well, if they  _ are _ from the future, then they technically shouldn't exist yet,” Ford brought up. “But Stan does have a bit of a point. The very existence of you two itself shouldn’t be an error, even if you are currently existing in the wrong place or the wrong time,” 

“I assume you were trying to give us a complement, but I think it got lost in the nerd talk,” Mabel teased. “But thanks anyways? I think?” 

The four arrived at the doorstep of a small brick building that read  _ Pines Family Pawn Shop. _

“Welcome to our humble abode!” Stan presented the place with a dramatic bow. “Here is the place where we live, and where our parents live, and where Shermie lives,” 

“He means our older brother, Sherman,” Ford clarified. 

Dipper and Mabel exchanged a look. Shermie. For some reason, that name felt extremely familiar, as if it’s connection to themselves was on the very tip of their tongue. 

Stanley continued. “Lady, Gentleman, Nerd,” (Ford inserted a “hey!” after that statement) “Welcome, one and all, to the Pines house!” 

Stan pushed the door open dramatically, so hard it hit the wall it’s hinges were nailed to with a hard  _ slam! _

This caught the attention of their father; a man that looked like stone, had the aura of stone, and was mostly kind of a stony guy in general. He turned his eyes, hidden behind dark shaded glasses, over to the four kids, his displeasure radiating from him in waves. 

“Stanley, what have I told you about slamming the door like that,” 

“Uh, sorry,” Stan mumbled, sounding uncharacteristically small. 

Something told Mabel and Dipper that Stan was  _ never _ supposed to sound like that. 

“Maybe dish duty for the next month will help you remember,” The man growled, before turning his attention away from the children, and to his inventory. “If you're going to play inside, stay out of the shop. I’ve got work,” It was as if their father had suddenly become part of the room. Nothing would disturb him. Either he didn’t notice the two friends that his sons had brought home, or he didn’t care. 

Stan, in the meantime, seemed strangely anxious for being put in charge of something simple as  _ dish duty _ . 

“Oh no,” He whispered in panic to Ford. “I can’t do dish duty! I always break the plates, and then dad gets  _ really _ mad!” 

“Don’t worry,” Ford placed a comforting hand on the little boy’s shoulder. “We’ll talk to Ma about it. I’m sure she can convince Pa to lighten up on you,” 

The four kids wondered past the shop, and towards the stairs that lead to the livable parts of the apartment. 

“What’s so bad about dish duty?” Mabel asked, confused. 

“Stan often breaks the plates by accident,” Ford explained. “Then Pa comes down on him even more,” 

Dipper and Mabel shared a look. There was something that felt off to them, but they couldn’t put their finger on it.

The kids finally reached the upstairs, where Stan and Ford’s mother sat on a bench built into the window, chatting on the phone. She was a pretty Romani woman with black hair and a thick Jersey accent, and they listened to her spill blatant lies about impossible futures into the phone. 

“I never said yer husband ain’t gonna divorce ya, Misses Crampelter, I jus’ said that everything is gonna work out well. Ya see, the spirits say that, comin’ yer way, is  _ good fortune _ . Fortune that yer husband owns now, but ‘soon as everythin’s over, that  _ good fortune  _ will be yours. Of course, there are only a few paths that may lead you to yer fortune. I recommend hiring Hue Dalbello as yer layar for the upcoming court trial,” 

“Hue Dalbello is our uncle,” Stanford explained to the kids, looking smug. 

Their mom got off the phone, and immediately turned her attention to her two little boys. “Well lookie here! Seem’s my little snugbugs have come back from their adventure’s early!” She went up to them, giving them tickles and a kiss on the forehead. 

“Mom, stop!” Stanley complained, even though he was smiling happily. “You're embarrassing me!” 

“I guess my little man is too old for tickles then,” His mother teased. “No more hugs and kisses for you then. Only manly handshakes, right, Stanley,” 

“No! No! That’s not what I meant!” Stan insisted, seeming to panic. “I still like that sappy stuff, it’s just–,” 

His mother laughed, ticking him more. “So you do like it? Why didn’t you just say so? My little fishy!” 

“Mom!” 

“Oh, ma!” Ford quickly interrupted the tickling session. “These are our new friends! Mabel and Dipper,” 

“We found them in a cave!” Stan chirped.

“Did you really?” His mother said, amused, before turning to the two kids in front of her. “I’m Mrs. Pines,” She told them. “I’m glad to see my sons have made some new friends,” 

“Hey, when you wake up unconscious in a cave and are given stolen ice pops by two strangers, you're gonna be their best friends for life!” Mabel announced. 

Mrs. Pines blinked. “Um… ok?” She wasn’t entirely sure what to make of the two kids. “Uh, well, I guess you two can stay over and play with the boys ‘till dinner time, then I can drive you home,” 

Mabel and Dipper shared a glance. “About that…” Dipper trailed off. “You see, we…” 

“They don’t have any parents,” Stanley quickly jumped in. “They don’t have a home either. Do you think we can help them?” 

Mrs. Pines looked at the kids sympathetically. “Aw, is that true?” 

“Yeah,” Dipper replied, rubbing the side of his arm. “We don’t even remember what are parents looked like,” 

“And we have no idea where we came from, too,” Mabel added awkwardly. 

“You poor things,” She said with a frown. “How about the two of you stay the night, and we’ll figure out what to do with you then, ok?” She suggested. Dipper and Mabel shrugged, not seeing an issue with the current plan. “In the meantime, why don’t the two of you go play in Stanley and Stanford’s room?” 

“Yeah!” Stan cheered. “I can’t wait to introduce you to my possum! His name is Shanklin, and he’s the best thing in the world!” 

“I don’t know why, but he sounds like you, Mabel,” Dipper told his sister. Mabel laughed at this. 

“You know what, he does,” She hummed. 

Stan began to run up to his room, dragging Dipper and Mabel in tow. His mother smiles, watching her little free spirit go. 

“Hey, Ma, Pa’s putting Stanley on dish duty again,” Ford told her. 

“Is he now,” She growled, unimpressed. “Well, I guess I’ll just have to talk some sense into him, now, won’t I?” 

“Thanks mom,” Ford said with a nod, before running off to follow his brother and their new friends. 

* * *

“And this is Shanklin!” Stan announced, holding the possum out for admiration. “Ain’t he a beauty?” 

“Stan found him in the sewers,” Ford told them. “He might have rabies, but he doesn’t really bite, so you should be fine,” 

“He helps me steal treasure and wallets from the unsuspecting!” Stan announced. “He’s the most perfect pet ever!” 

Dipper looked at the possum rather unimpressed. He could smell the thing from where he stood. Mabel, however, looked at the little thing with stars in her eyes. 

“He’s ADORABLE!!!” She cheered, running up to it and taking it into her arms, despite Shanklin’s protest. (It began to claw at her face, though she didn’t seem to notice). “What a precious little bean! You’re like a walking grey sweater!” 

“Hey, hey!” Stan cried out, stealing his possum back. “He’s not  _ adorable _ , he's a badass _!”  _

Mabel placed her hands on her hips, smiling smugly. “Bold of you to assume that you cannot be badass  _ and _ adorable at the same time,” 

“Bold of you to assume?” Ford repeated, perplexed. “Never heard  _ that _ word-phrase before,” 

“Really?” Mabel chirped. “It’s used all the time… at least I think it is,” 

The four sat down at the rug in the center of the room, straight in front of the bunk bed where Ford and Stan slept. 

“Serious question,” Ford warned them. “What do you think we should do about you guys's amnesia,” 

Dipper and Mabel looked at eachother, but shrugged, seeming saddened. “I don't think there’s really anything we  _ can  _ do,” Dipper said with a sigh. “Our memories are just… gone. I’m not sure if there’s a way to get them back,”

“Usually, seeing something that has to do with lost memories can help trigger them,” Ford explained. “You two mentioned a hat and a book. Do you remember anything else about it?” 

“The hat had a fish on it,” Mabel said matter-of-factly. “I think it was red, but every time I try to remember it’s shape this really weird shade of yellow blocks it out,” 

“Maybe this yellow is the key to your past!” Stan chimed in. He quickly stood up, shuffled around his desk, and came back with a box that held a lot of crayons. He dug into the box, grabbing every yellow one he could find. “Tell me if you find the shade,” He said. 

He dug out crayon after crayon, none of the yellows looking exactly right. Ford dug out a piece of paper, and he and Mabel would grab the crayons and scribble on the paper every so often, just to check them. Stan kept digging through the box. 

“That’s it!” Mabel suddenly shouted, pointing to a crayon in his hand that was, true to her and Dipper’s words, a rather obnoxious shade. 

Stan looked at the label. “Candy Corn,” He read. “But Candy Corn is tasty,” 

“And what does Candy Corn have to do with your memories?” Ford questioned. 

Dipper and Mabel just shrugged. “I mean, maybe something happened during halloween, or something,” Mabel guessed, though, she had to admit, she was grasping at straws. 

The four kids took a moment to think. 

“Hey, you know what usually helps, according to the movies?” Stan brought up. “Hypnotism!” 

Ford takes a moment to think, then shrugs. “I guess we can try it,” 

It turned out that neither Ford nor Stan knew how to hypnotize people. 

“Now sleeeeeeeeeeeppp!!” Stan insisted, swinging a ball they tied to string in front of Dipper’s face. Dipper looked back at him unamused. 

“Yeah, I’m not feeling anything,” He confessed. 

“Maybe Ma can help us,” Ford suggested.

“I mean, if she even believes us,” Mabel added. “Like, how weird is it that two random kids show up in the middle of nowhere, _without a single memory_ ” 

There’s a silence that Stan interrupts this time. “Are we gonna talk about how weird it is that these two look like us?” 

“Yeah,” Ford chimed in, “We noticed that earlier. You two practically seem to have Pine’s family curls,” 

“I mean, there’s a lot of people in this world; not everyone’s gonna look different,” Dipper said with a shrug. 

“But it’s weird!” Stan insisted. “I mean, you two are twins, we’re also twins, you guys have red noses, we have red noses,” 

“My nose isn’t that red!” Dipper cried. 

“And look at Ford and Dipper!” Stan continued. “Ford has his awesome extra finger, and Dipper has those cool dots on his head!” 

“Dots?” Questioned Ford. 

“Yeah, Dipper’s got a birthmark,” Mabel said, stealing Dipper’s hat from his head and pushing his bangs back. 

“Remarkable!” Ford stated. “A perfect Big Dipper mapped on your forehead. Do you know how  _ rare _ that is?” 

“Mabel, give me my hat back!” Dipper snapped, re-fluffing his bangs to hide the mark. “It’s embarrassing,” 

“Ha!” Stan laughed. “You think that’s an embarrassing birthmark? You should see this mole on my butt! I swear it’s shaped just like Elvis Presley!” 

The three kids had to physically tackle Stanley to keep him from pulling his pants down to reveal such a mark. 

* * *

Dinner with the Pines family is stuffy and awkward. Any time the kids tried to speak, they were shut down with a glare from Filbrick. Apparently, there was a house rule of “children do not speak unless spoken to”. 

Most of dinner was spent hearing Filbrick complain about things. He complained about business, talking about how “those idiots wouldn’t know a good business deal if it hit them between the eyes,” (neither Marble nor Dipper knew who the “idiots” were that he was complaining about). He complained about Shermie, and how the boy never came home for dinner on time anymore. Apparently, the eldest Pines brother was always off “galavanting” with his other friends. Then, Filbrick complained about Stan and Ford. Right in front of them. At the table. 

Dipper and Mabel definitely didn’t like that. 

He complained about how Ford needed to toughen up. That he shouldn’t be found crying again like a wimp. “Thank you’re lucky stars your a smart boy, Stanford, otherwise you’d have very little going for you,” 

Caryn glared at her husband, looking like she wanted to growl at him. She wouldn't start a fight with her kids around, but she made sure that her husband noticed her displeasure. 

“And you, Stanley, what have I told you about your grades?” 

Stan squirmed in his seat. “I told ya, Pa, I’ve been trying my best, but…” 

“Apparently you haven't been trying hard enough,” Filbrick growled. “If you have enough time to play with friends, you obviously have enough time to study more,” 

“But, Pa!” Stan cried. “If I study any more, my brain will fall off! And it’s not that big a deal! Reading’s just a little hard for me—” 

“So your saying the reason you’ve been getting bad grades is not because your lazy, but because your stupid,” 

Mabel and Dipper shared a look. Did Stan's father just accuse his own son of being stupid? That felt... mean. They figured Stan and Ford had a strict dad, but something about this didn't feel right. 

Caryn couldn’t stay quiet anymore. “Children, how about you finish your meal up in your rooms. I have to have a  _ talk _ with my husband,” 

* * *

The yelling could be heard from down there. 

“Stanley, what have I told you about talking when Pa’s lecturing us?” Ford chastised. 

“Hey, don’t blame him!” Mabel snapped. “Your dad was being a butt-face! Stan was just trying to stand up for himself,” 

“That’s  _ great _ , but you don’t do that with Pa!” Ford insisted. “You let him say what he wants, ya stay silent, he gets it off his chest, and then he leaves you alone. I’m worried that Stan dug himself into a deeper hole!” 

Ford sounded scared, so Mabel laid off. Stan huddled near the bed. Dipper took a seat next to the boy. “‘M sorry,” He whimpered out. “Now ma and pa are fighting again, and it’s all my fault,” 

Dipper placed a hand around Stan’s shoulder. “People fight all the time, Stan. Sibling, parents, friends. I mean, I can’t remember it, but I have a feeling that me and Mabel got into some pretty big fights of our own,” 

Mabel laughed. “Oh boy, I’ve got the same feeling. Wasn’t there something to do with a room? There was  _ totally _ a lot of pizza covering the floor. That I can remember,” 

“And didn’t we fight over a snow-globe?” Dipper questioned. “I mean, it sounds absolutely stupid, but I think we fought over a snow-globe at some point,” 

Mabel shuttered. “I-” She hesitated, rubbing her arm. “I think that was a bad one,” 

Dipper frowned. He hadn’t meant to make his sister sad. He held at the arm that wasn’t wrapped around Stan’s, gesturing for her to come over. She sat down next to her brother, and he tucked his other arm around her. “Hey, whatever fight we got into, I’m pretty sure we made up. I mean, I can’t imagine being angry with you for something as utterly  _ stupid _ as a snow-globe,” 

“But Ma and Pa aren’t arguing over a snow-globe!” Stan cried. “They’re arguing over  _ me! _ Because  _ I  _ had to open my big stupid mouth. I’m sorry, Sixer, I know you’ve told me, but—” 

Ford sat down next to his brother and hugged him tightly. “It’s fine, Stan. I’m just worried Pa’s gonna ground ya, or make ya sit on the roof again,” 

“Sit on the roof?” Mabel questioned. 

Stan shuttered. “If I’m in  _ really, really, _ big trouble, Pa will make me sit on the top of the apartment roof in the cold for an hour or something. It’s really high up, and the pigeons always pick on me,” 

“But aren't you scared of heights?” Mabel cried. “That’s gotta make everything worse!” 

“Yeah, I’m— wait a’ minute!!” Stan suddenly shouted “I never told ya I was scared of heights! How’d you know that!?” 

Mabel opened her mouth to explain, realized she had no explanation, and then closed it again. “Gut instinct?” She offered, though she was just as unsure of it as everyone else was. 

“Maybe you two  _ are _ our space-siblings,” Ford laughed. 

The four of them sat, huddled together, enjoying each other's company, trying to ignore the yelling downstairs. 

“Sorry your first day here was ruined,” Stan muttered. 

“First day, huh?” Mabel hummed. “Does that mean we’ll be staying here forever?” 

“Not forever, hopefully. Even _I_ don't wanna stay here forever” Ford laughed. “But yes. You two don’t have anywhere to go right,” 

Mabel and Dipper both shook their heads.

“Then it’d make sense that you’d stay with us,” At least, Ford hoped they’d be staying with them. There was something about these twins. They felt like family, despite having only shown up in Stan and his life a few hours ago. 

_ Space siblings. _

“At least, I hope you guys get to stay with us,” Ford laughed. “Should be easy to convince Ma to let you stay. Pa, on the other hand…” 

“I’ll just have to work the ol’ Mabel charm on ‘im,” Mabel joked. “Works every time,” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was thinking of introducing Shermie to the kids this chapter, but I figured I found a good place to end it, so I'll just do that next chapter. Leave a review!


	3. Pulled Against the Grain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper and Mable get adjusted to their new home, while Caryn brings up the idea of keeping them to her husband.

Sherman Pines came home late again. 

Coming home late was honestly the best way to avoid the family drama. He was 16, had friends that didn’t argue all the time like his parents did, and honestly didn’t have much of a reason to be home anytime before the family ate dinner. Sure, he did feel a little bit bad for ditching his little brothers, but they had each other. They were twelve years old. They were old enough to take care of themselves. 

The reprieves always seemed to be worth it if it meant skipping out on family dinner. He didn’t need to listen to his father tell him everything that’s wrong with him, Stanford, and Stanley. And he didn’t need to hear Pa growling at Stanley, since the poor kid seemed incapable of keeping his mouth shut around their dad like he and Stanford could. 

It was a wonder the family hadn’t fallen apart yet. The twins where possibly too young to see it, and god be damned if Shermie was to point it out to them, but the dysfunction was apparent, with the most prominent feature being the twins and Pa’s dissatisfaction with them. 

Filbrick had been hoping his second child would be a girl, but wound up with two twin boys instead. He’d been a little disappointed when Stanford popped out, even more so when he saw the child's birth “defect”, but then came Stanley, and Sherman could hear his father yelling about how they couldn’t afford three children from down the hall. 

The card’s were stacked against the twins from the start. Stanford was constantly bullied for his six fingers, and Stanley seemed unable to do anything right in the eye’s of most adults. Reading didn’t come easy to the kid, and he didn’t have the patience to sit still at a desk all day in school. The teachers very much disliked him, labeling him a troublemaker. 

The six-fingered freak, and his twin, the troublemaking dunce. Shermie had heard everything the town had to say about his little brothers. He hated all of them. 

Glass Shard Beach was truly a close-minded pit of misery, and nothing said that more than the Pines family dinners. 

Shermie slipped into his house, avoiding his fighting parents, and went into the room his brother’s shared to check on them. 

It looked like the two of them had friends over. A boy and a girl who bore an uncanny resemblance to the Pines family as a whole. As if they could’ve been some secret relatives that Shermie didn’t know about. 

“Shermie! Your home!” Stanley cried, running up to his big brother and giving him a tight hug around the hips. (They were both getting taller every day. Shermie was proud of them) “Come ‘ere! You  _ gotta _ meet our new friends!” 

“This is Mabel and Dipper,” Stanford gestured to them. “We found them in a boat in a cave,” 

“They’re twins! Just like us!” Stanley cheered. 

“Really?” Shermie laughed, quirking an eyebrow. There was something awfully familiar about those two kids, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. “Where’d you kids come from?” He asked them. 

Mabel and Dipper just shrugged, mumbling “I dunno,” at the same time. This piqued Sherman’s curiosity. 

“You guys got family?” 

The two of them shrugged again. “We don’t really remember our parents,” Mabel explained. 

Well. That was a thing.

“How’d you two get  _ here _ , of all places?” Shermie asked them. The kids just shrugged again. They  _ had _ to be messing with him. 

“The two of them have amnesia,” Stanford explained. “They can’t remember anything about who they were before we found them,” 

Shermie quirked an eyebrow, looking at the twins for confirmation. “Really?” 

Dipper just gave him another shrug. “We woke up in an old boat in a cave. Everything before that is fuzzy,” 

“Whenever we try to remember something important, this yellow thing comes up in our minds,” Mabel elaborated. “And we got these really weird instincts too. Like, my instincts say I’m gonna really like you!” She pointed at Shermie. 

He had to admit, this girl had charisma. He was instantly charmed. “Do they really? And how do you know?” 

Mabel smiled. “I just do,” 

“Mabel, you can’t just say things like that to people you just met,” Dipper laughed, embarrassed. 

“I can say what I want, Sir. Dipping Sauce!” Mabel declared in retaliation. 

“My theory is that they’re our secret Space Siblings,” Stanley explained to his older brother. “They knew about my _secret fear of heights,_ ” He whispered, “Without me even telling them!” 

“You're a strange pair of kids,” Shermie laughed. “So, what do you think you’re going to do now?” 

Mabel and Dipper glanced at each other, then back at Shermie. “We don’t really have anywhere to go,” Dipper said. 

“Actually,” Mabel chimed in, “I was thinking…” 

“That’s dangerous,” Dipper teased. Mabel smacked him in the arm, then continued. 

“I was thinking that maybe we can stay with you guys,” Mabel finished. “I mean, this place isn’t perfect,” She paused, listening to the yelling from downstairs. “But our instinct says that this is where we’re supposed to be!” 

“Besides, I kinda like hanging out with you two,” Dipper added, giving the twin boys a smile. 

“Yeah!” Stanley cheered, jumping in between the new set of twins, slinging each arm over their shoulders, and chanting, “One of us! One of us! One of us!” 

Sherman laughed, glad to see that his little brothers have finally made some friends. He didn't think they'd be allowed to live here, but he wasn't about to burst their bubble. “I’m sure that’d be cool, You two seem like good kids. I hope you guys get to stay close to here wherever you go,” 

"What do you mean 'wherever they go'?" Stanley protested. "They'll be staying right here with us!" 

"They're our space siblings!" Stanford insisted. "We gotta stick together!" 

Shermie rolled his eyes, but smiled nonetheless. “Alright. You and your space sibling better get to bed,” He told them, ruffling Stanford’s hair. “Tomorrow’s Saturday, and you don’t wanna miss waffles for breakfast, do you?” 

“Nope!” Stan cheered, instantly jumping into his bed. “G’night Shermie!” He called out to his big brother as the man left the room. 

“Night, guys,” He responded, before quietly shutting the door. 

* * *

Stan and Ford let Dipper and Mabel borrow some of their pajamas for sleeping in, as well as their sleeping bags. They piled as many pillows and blankets they could spare onto the carpet in their room for the twins to sleep on, before getting ready for bed, and falling asleep in their own bunk. 

Mabel stared at the ceiling, reaching her hands up towards it, watching her brother curl up besides her. “Hey, Dip-dop?” She asked. 

“Yeah,” Her brother mumbled back. 

“There’s these scabs on my wrist,” She said. “Where do you think they came from?” 

Dipper looked at the thin scabs she was referring to, frowning. “I don’t know. But I don’t like them,” 

“These scabs are a part of this,” Mabel said. “I think. I look at them, and I get this horrible feeling,” 

“I do too,” Dipper said, “I think I might of done something terrible,” 

“Whatever it was, I’m pretty sure I had a part to play,” Mabel assured her brother. 

“You were so sad,” Dipper mumbled. “I just… I didn’t want…” He gave up. The memory was in fragments anyways. “I don’t know,” 

A silence hung between the twins. “I think I broke a mirror,” Mabel suddenly said. “I think that’s what started it,” 

“What do you think of Stan and Ford?” Dipper asked, changing the subject. 

“What do you mean? I really like them,” Mabel answered. “They feel like family,” 

Dipper turned over to get a proper glance at the other twins, sleeping peacefully in their respective bunk beds. “Whatever we’re doing here, I have a feeling we’re doing this for them,” 

“But  _ what _ are we doing?!” Mabel exclaimed in frustration. “We’re forgetting something really important!”

“Mabel, we  _ literally _ don’t know our own history,” Dipper laughed. “We didn’t just forget something important; we forgot  _ everything _ ,” 

“Except each other,” Mabel added. 

“Yeah, everything except each other,” Dipper agreed. 

“I think Stan was right,” Mabel hummed. “That’s the most important thing we need to remember,” 

* * *

“So, who are those children?” Filbrick Pines asked his wife, watching his sons and the two extra kids eating waffles at the breakfast table. Stan must have been telling some sort of story; Filbrick could tell from his wide arm gestures, and frequently standing on his chair, much to his annoyance. 

But it was Waffle Breakfast, so he could let the infraction slide. 

“They’re a couple o’ kid’s Stanley and Stanford met on the beach yesterday,” Caryn explained. “The girl helped me cook waffles with Stanely,” 

“You’re still letting him help you cook?” Filbrick questioned. 

“He likes it, and I don’t mind the extra pair of hands,” Caryn sipped her coffee, narrowing her eyes, as if daring Filbrick to argue with her. 

The man sighed. If his son was going to make it in this world he’d have to grow into a man. His boy’s joy of cooking, and other, more feminine activities, would do nothing but hinder this process. There was a reason he didn’t let Stanley sign up for theatre classes. But he didn’t exactly feel like arguing with his wife right now. 

“Anyways,” He grunted. “What do you know about these kids. Are they troublemakers?” 

“No, no,” Caryn laughed. “They’re quite sweet actually,” She drank the remainder of her coffee, and immediately poured more from the batch. Filbrick rolled his eyes. That woman had quite the caffeine addiction. “They’re orphans,” She explained. “They don’t really have a home. But they’re the first real friends our little twins have had besides each other,” She smiled, as she watched Mabel jump in on Stanley’s storytelling, while the other boys laughed. Dipper and Stanford both reached for the last strawberry at the same time, and started playing Rock-Paper-Scissors for it, but Shermie took it while they weren’t looking. “I hope that, wherever they end up, we can keep them close,” 

Filbrick looked at his wife. He knew that look. It was the same one she would wear when she took home stray animals when they were young and first dating. 

“Caryn, no,” He told her. 

“I didn’t say anything,” 

“We’re already struggling financially with three children as it is. We’re not  _ keeping _ these twins,” 

“Filbrick, they’ve got nowhere else to go,” Caryn protested. 

“We’ll turn them over to the police, and they’ll be sent to an orphanage,” Filbrick plotted. “They’ll be perfectly fine,” 

“What if nobody adopts them,” She argued. “They’re about twelve years old. Nobody adopts older kids,” 

“That’s not our problem,” 

“The closest orphanage is several towns away,” She continued. “What if we can’t see them again? They’re the first friends our  _ sons _ have ever made. We can’t let that go,” 

“They don’t need friends,” Filbrick grumbled. He watched the girl pick up both Stanford and Stanley in her arms, and run around the table carrying them. She seemed to be a strong girl. Those two kids seemed good, and his sons enjoyed them. “Do you really think we can actually provide for them?” 

“We can make it work,” Caryn insisted. “You like them, I can tell,” 

“They’ll be two more mouths to feed,” He growled. 

“You always wanted a little girl,” Caryn reminded him. 

Filbrick scowled, but kept his eye on Mabel anyways. He watched her smile and laugh. 

A son could provide for the family. But a daughter was something special. 

“I’ll think about it,” He finally settled on. 

Caryn rested her head against his shoulder. “I knew you couldn’t say no to those faces,” 

The stubborn man just grumbled and rolled his eyes. He hated it when she was right about him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Filbrick is gonna be a bit of a strange character to handle in this one. He's still a dick, as we know, but I'm gonna have to add some humanity to him if he's actually going to adopt Dipper and Mabel (which is the whole point of this series). 
> 
> I've got some experience being "Daddy's little girl" considering I'm the one sister with two little brothers. My dad let's me get away with a hell of a lot more than what my bro's get away with. Now, my dad is a WAY better person than Filbrick will ever be, but a reference is a reference.


	4. I Would Rather Do Without

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two sets of twins look in the cave Dipper and Mabel came from for clues. Dipper remembers something horrid. 
> 
> TW: Brief mentions of self-harm, and other unhealthy coping mechanisms.

The two sets of twins returned to the cave they found Dipper and Mabel in, with a mission to look for clues as to how the children had ended up there. 

The two new kids would be allowed to stay at the Pine’s house for the rest of the week, before Filbrick would hand them over to foster care. However, the man was half convinced to let these children in, and Caryn was definitely on board with adopting them. 

Dipper and Mabel were good kids. Even if they didn’t have a home, they were still bright little things that made the sun come out, and could worm their way into even the most cold, dead, hearts. If you had any sense of humanity, you would find yourself liking these kids. 

The four kids wandered into the cave, and approached the boat inside. 

“This is the perfect boat!” Stan declared. “One day, Sixer and I are gonna jump on it and sail away from this place, and explore the world!” 

“We’ve always wanted to sail the world,” Ford explained. “We were saving up money to buy a boat, but now we have our own!” 

Dipper quirked an eyebrow. “You guys sure? I mean, what about college and stuff?” 

“I ain’t stayin’ in school any longer than I have to!” Stan snapped bitterly. 

“The best way to learn  _ is _ by hands-on experience,” Ford explains. “I mean, sure, you can  _ learn _ about places like Rome, and Beijing, and Egypt from a classroom, but what can beat  _ going there _ and  _ seeing _ them for yourself,” 

Dipper frowned for a second, confused. Something about Ford’s statements felt off, as if he wasn’t  _ supposed _ to be saying that. But Dipper couldn’t quite pin down what made things feel like that. It was as if he had expected Ford to be a little more cynical. But why the hell would he be expecting that from a twelve-year-old? 

“That sounds awesome!” Mabel chirped. “Could Dipper and I go sailing with you?” She asked. 

“Of course!” Stanley cheered. “Why  _ wouldn’t _ we invite our space siblings to come with us!” 

“Yeah!” Mabel cheered. “Space siblings!” 

“Space Sibling! Space Sibling! Space sibling!” She and Stan chanted together. 

Dipper and Ford watched their twins with a smile, before climbing into the boat and joining in with the chanting as well.

* * *

“I found something!” Dipper declared. It’d been a half an hour. Stan and Ford had found some rope inside the ship, and started dragging the hull out from the rocks it was lodged into. They would take it out to the beach and start their work on it. In the meantime, dislodging the half-buried ship had uncovered some things buried into the sand. Broken, brown tinted glass, with dried blood on the edges. Gold machinery that had fallen apart, and a bottle cap for a Pitt Cola. 

The parts are so scattered and damaged that Dipper can't tell what contraption it was trying to be. But lying next to it in the sand is something broken but still in good enough shape for him to tell what it is. A yellow tape measure, with an hourglass decorating the side. 

“What the heck?” Dipper muttered, pulling it up to look at it. Something told him that it was important. 

“Did you find something bro-bro?” Mabel called over. 

“Yeah,” Dipper stood up and took the measure over to her for observation. “It’s a tape measure, but I feel like there’s more to it than that,” 

Mabel took the contraption and flipped it around in her hands. She pulled the measure with curiosity. “The numbering is really weird,” She observed. 

“Oh!” Stanley shouted over from where he was helping his brother drag the boat. “Maybe it’s a teleportation device, and that’s how you got here from space!” 

Ford went up to the twins and took the device from Mabel. He dug his fingers into a crack in the paneling and took a look at the inside. “Whoa!” He exclaimed, amazed. 

The other three kids took a peek over his shoulder to see what he was looking at. 

The inside of the device was filled with wires and future-looking technology of all kinds. A complex mother-board that could only be seen in science fiction movies. Plugged to it was a little chamber in the corner that looked extremely important, considering the small cube was covered in yellow and black stripes, with ominous looking warnings in foreign script plastered about. 

So, Stanley did the logical thing. He reached over his brother’s shoulder, latched onto the chamber with his fingers, and yanked it out of it’s spot. 

“Stanley!” Ford snapped. 

“What?” His brother asked, still holding the small chamber. 

“You could’ve broken it!” Ford berated. 

Stan just waved his brother off. “Pftsh, it was already broken. The only way we’re gonna figure out what it is is to take it apart!” And with that statement, he dug his fingers into one of the walls of the mini-chambers and tore it off, getting a look at the inside of the little cube-like thing. 

“What the hell is that!?” He gasped. 

“Stan, you know what dad says about the…” Ford trailed off, staring in amazement at the inside of the chamber, to amazed to berate his twin for swearing. 

Suspended in mid-air was what appeared to be an hourglass, filled with what looked like a miniature universe. It was absolutely fascinating. 

Stanford reached out to touch the hourglass, only for a jolt of electricity to be sent through his fingers. “OUCH!” He cried. 

“I guess it doesn’t like being touched,” Stan observed. “Whatever it is, anyways…” 

Stan put the parts of the chamber back into the tape measure and closed the side, before giving it to Ford. “Maybe Shermie can fix it. He’s pretty good with that kind of stuff,” 

“Maybe,” Ford hummed, putting all the parts of the contraption back together, and stuffing the thing into one of the inner pockets in his bomber jacket. Dipper went back to the sand and dug up all the little buried parts of the other contraption. It all looked rather useless; just broken parts that could never be put back together. The only thing that looked somewhat put together was a glass tube that had gold caps on either side. A small paper was clipped into the glass with the names “Dipper and Mabel” on them in red ink.

“Huh,” Dipper said. His stomach clenched upon looking at it. There was something extremely  _ wrong _ about the tube. Memories of a broken mirror flashed into his mind. A broken mirror, and blood. And…

* * *

_ Dipper had been lured to the bathroom by his sister’s distressed wails, and the sound of broken glass. The mirror broke. It seemed like Mabel had punched it. The broken glass was everywhere, but a large chunk of it was in his sisters hand. She gripped it so hard her palms were bleeding. She didn’t hear him open the bathroom door. She was too busy dragging the sharp edge of the glass across her wrist.  _

_ He let out a strangled cry, staring at her in horror. Slowly, she turned her head towards him, her eyes filled with tears. She gasped, and ran towards him. He reached out his arms to touch her, to hold her, to tell her that everything was going to be ok. That was a lie, but he’d tell her anyways. Because he was here. He was here for her. He wouldn’t leave her side. Yes, it hurt; it hurt so bad. It hurt so bad to know that everything could be different if he just  _ told _ her what was going on. But she had to feel worse. Because she was the final person  _ it _ needed to trick before  _ it _ got what it wanted. And she had fallen for it, hook, line and sinker. And her family had paid.  _

_ He wanted to tell her that it wasn’t her fault. That she was a kid; and just as much of a victim as everyone else. But she shut the bathroom door in his face. And he couldn’t get it open, no matter how hard he tried. He could only listen to her wail from the other side of the door. He could only stare at the blood-soaked paper towels she used to clean the bathroom up sitting in the trash can after she finally left. He could only look at his reflection in the broken mirror, with a shard of glass missing from it, still in her possession. Still being used. He stared at his reflection, but could no longer see his sister looking back at him. She had become too gaunt, too tired. They barely looked the same anymore.  _

_ One night, while his sister stared at the ceiling from her bed, obviously not falling asleep, but was still too tired to do much but just lay still in her bed, he had snuck a strange-looking gun from his backpack. He didn’t tell anyone he’d kept it.  _

_ “I’m sorry, Mabel,” He hummed, quietly, twisting the knob on the gun, so that it spelled “SUMMER” onto the tiny screen. _

* * *

Dipper quickly grabbed the wall of the cave to keep himself from falling over, placing his hand over his mouth to mask the sound of him hyperventilating. The memory was powerful and painful, and he hated it. He hated it, he hated it, he hated it, and…

He couldn’t tell Mabel.

Dipper hid the container in his vest, and told himself to forget about it, before joining up with Stan, Ford, and Mabel, to help them drag the wrecked ship out of the cave.

* * *

_ Three Months Later _

A second bunk bed was purchased and set up in the corner of Stan and Ford’s room, as well as an extra dresser that Dipper and Mabel could share. 

Clothing wasn’t that big of a worry for the two of them, turns out. Dipper alternated between wearing three different shirts and refused to put on anything else, so Filbrick found it more efficient to just not buy him anything more than he was wearing. Mabel could knit herself about three sweaters out of a single ball of yarn, so it ended up being cheaper to buy yarn instead of more sweaters for her. And with her passion for knitting, it seemed like they wouldn’t need to worry about winter clothes for a while. 

It had been three days since the Pines family officially adopted Mabel and Dipper. Mabel had spent the week before they were delivered to foster care attached to Ma and Pa Pines by the hip, making sure to worm her way into their hearts. And it worked? Stan and Ford couldn’t believe she had convinced their Pa to let them stay, but Dipper wasn’t surprised. He knew his sister could do amazing things. 

He watched her smile as she sat on the other twin’s bed, knitting a red sweater for Stanley, while laughing at some extravagant story the boy was telling her. She had claimed the top bunk, saying that it was her right as the older twin (Dipper had no memory of her being older than him, but he decided he wouldn’t burst her bubble). Ford would periodically turn around in his seat and ask that they quiet down so that he could continue working on homework. Dipper and Mabel hadn’t been registered for school yet, but the other twins still had to go to it. Or at least, that’s what Stanford had been trying to tell Stanley, who’d much rather goof off with his new siblings than sit down and do homework. 

Dipper reached into the inside of his vest, gripping the glass capsule that he’d hidden inside it. He didn’t know what it did. All he knew was that it triggered memories of his sister in a horrid state of despair, that he never wanted to see her in again. Her natural state was smiling. She was a bundle of joy, and he wanted to keep her that way. 

Silently, when Mabel wasn’t looking, he took the capsule out from under his vest, and slipped it into his pillow case to hide it, figuring he’d find a better place later. 

He felt extremely guilty, but something told him he shouldn’t tell Mabel about this. 

Something told him she'd be furious with him, and that he'd hate himself, if they ever found out what he did to her. 

Maybe it was better that they _didn't_ remember how or why they where here. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Now we know a little bit more about what happened in the past/future. Unfortunately for you guys, that's all the information we'll be getting for a while. Oh well. Kill me later. Tell me what you thought of this chapter in a review! Or don't, I guess... But it'd be better if you did.


	5. I'd Rather Be Free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stan contemplates his place in the family. The four children plan for a future, filled with boats and seas.

“So, when are your birthdays?” Caryn asked her new children. 

The Pines parents were filling out the paperwork to register Dipper and Mabel for school. They would ultimately only end up in school for a month before summer started, but Filbrick had insisted that they get as much school time as possible.

“Don’t know,” Dipper responded quickly. 

“Just put ‘em on the same day as the Twins,” Filbrick grumbled into a cup of coffee. “They’re the same age anyways, and throwing  _ two  _ B’nai Mitzvahs aren't worth the trouble” 

Caryn let out an annoyed sigh, but did as she was told anyways. It wasn’t like the children would mind it; they’d see it as fun. Though, she didn’t appreciate her husband's logic. 

“Pa! Pa!” Mabel cheered out, running into the kitchen, a bundle of  _ something _ in her arms. “I finished knitting your sweater!” She cheered. 

She had knitted her signature gift for both the Pines parents as a thank you for adopting them. While she knitted her mother something colorful, with the faces of her family sewn into the knitting, she’d gone with something more simple for her new dad; something that he’d be more likely to wear. 

She ended up knitting him a navy blue V-neck with green pinstripes that he could wear while working and still look official. 

Filbrick took the bundle from her arms, gave her a grunt of approval, patted her head, and headed to the bathroom to try it on. 

“He loves it,” Mabel translated proudly. 

“I don’ get how you stand wearing sweaters in this heat,” Stan shouted from where he stood. He’d been put on dish duty again, this time for taking money out of the pawn shop cash register. (He’d wanted to buy an adoption gift for Dipper and Mabel, but didn’t have enough money in his own piggy bank). 

“Well, I don’t sweat like you do,” Mabel declared, looking incredibly smug. 

“I don’t sweat  _ that _ much!” Stan protested, despite not having much of a leg to stand on. 

“You sweat worse than Dipper!” She teased. 

“I resent that!” Dipper called from his spot at the kitchen counter, where he sat across from Ford, who was doing his homework. 

Ford put the pencil down, taking a moment to join in on the conversation. “I guess we know who the alpha twins are,” He said with a smirk. “Mabel and I,” 

“Wha!?” Complained Stanley. “Who says you’s the alpha twins? Wadda bout me an’ Dipper?” 

“Well, you see,” Ford cockily dove into his explanation. “Both Mabel and I are less sweaty, which allows us to be more fashionable,” He tugged on his bomber jacket for emphasis. Unlike Stan, he wasn’t confined by short sleeves due to rapid sweating. “We’re also the older twins,” 

“There’s no proof that Mabel’s older,” Dipper threw in. 

“And we’re both taller,” 

“By  _ one _ millimeter!” Stan protested. 

“And the two of us definitely have the more charming personalities,” Ford declared, which wasn’t exactly as accurate, considering, for all their differences in personality,  _ both _ he and Stan couldn’t seem to make friends. Mabel and Dipper had yet to be tested. 

“Well, I’m the cuter twin,” Stan argued. 

“Stan, we both have the same face,” Ford reminded his brother, amused. 

“Alpha twins! Alpha twins!” Mabel chanted, jumping onto a stool to give herself Ford’s height, grabbing his hand, and pumping both of their fists. 

“Alpha twins!” Alpha twins!” Ford joined in. Dipper and Stan simply rolled their eyes. 

Caryn watched her children, an amused smile on her face. 

Filbrick came out of the bathroom, wearing Mabel’s sweater, his dress shirt and tie underneath, and his business suit coat on top. It looked crisp. Mabel had wanted to put more color into it, but she ultimately decided to go with something her new dad would actually wear. 

“It fits,” He told her, giving Mabel a nod of approval, that left the girl beaming. "Thank you," He grunted, to the surprise of the rest of his children. 

Stan watched as his dad sat down at the table, hiding his face with a newspaper. The boy frowned slightly. His father had never worn any of the gifts  _ he’d  _ given him. (Granted, making an origami hat out of construction paper wasn’t as impressive as knitting a whole sweater, but still). As far as he remembered, his father had never said thank you for anything Stan did. Hell, Filbrick barley even _smiled_ in his relative direction. 

He looked at his reflection in the plate he was cleaning. The whole thing was covered in suds. He would try his hardest to get Pa to look at him like he looked at Ford, and now Mabel, but no matter what he did, he seemed to be stuck on dish duty. What was he doing wrong? 

Suddenly, the dish wasn’t there anymore, and he was looking at empty hands. The plate fell to the floor, breaking instantly. 

Stan gulped, fear collecting in his stomach as his dad got up from the table, and approached him. 

“When given a job, you need to pay attention to it,” He growled, “Especially since I gave you this job to redeem your mistakes,” 

“I’m sorry!” Stan cried, as his father grabbed him by the arm and began to pull him along. 

“Filbrick!” Caryn snapped, though it did nothing to stop his father from taking him upstairs, and pulling him towards the rooftop.

* * *

Half an hour later, Stan sat near the door that led back down, sobbing into his knees. He’d been locked onto the roof before. It was always cold up there, and terrifying. He could fall to his death if he got anywhere to close to the edge of the roof. He didn’t want to die. What would Ford do if he died? 

Sure, he was the smart twin, but Ford needed Stan to protect him from bullies. 

But Ford had Mabel now. She was the toughest girl he’d ever met. She could easily protect Ford from bullies. And Dipper was smart. Ford would have a friend that was more like him. 

Was Stan really needed anymore? 

“Boop!” Said a sudden voice, and a finger reached out and tapped him on the nose. Stan looked up, shocked to see his sweater-clad sister. 

“Mabel?!” He cried out. “Wha-what are you doing up here?” He asked. 

“I scaled the building,” She announced proudly. Her hands were red from brick dust, with what looked like several new callouses building on them from her climb alone. Tied around her waste was a sheet, which was tied to another one, making a blanket rope. 

“You up there yet!?” Dipper shouted to her. 

“Yep!” Mabel cheered. “Start climbing,” 

Using the rope sheet, both Ford and Dipper climbed up from the window of their room to the roof. Ford opened up his bomber jacket to reveal dozens of treats hidden inside. “I brought snacks,” He declared proudly. 

Stan suddenly started crying even harder. His siblings freaked out for a second, wondering if they did something wrong, before Stan suddenly ran into all three of them, giving them a tight hug. “I LOVE YOU GUYS!!” He sobbed. 

They hugged their brother back. 

Ford handed out the snacks. Jelly Beans for himself, Toffee Peanuts for Stan, crackers for Dipper, and a wad of sugar packets for Mabel. 

“I know you hate being locked on the roof,” Ford said. “I’ve always wanted to come up here and join you, but I couldn’t figure out how,” 

Mabel ripped open one of the sugar packs and poured it into her mouth. “Ford was gonna sneak into Pa’s office and steal the roof keys, but I was just like, ‘why do that when I can just climb the wall’, so that’s what I did,” 

“That’s crazy!” Stan panicked. He couldn't imagine climbing _anything_ himself. He couldn't imagine somebody _climbing_ something for _him_. “What if you fell down and died?!” 

“Eh, it’d be worth it,” She replied, shrugging her shoulders. 

Stan curled in on himself. Was he really worth that? He loved Dipper and Mabel, but they could be there for Ford in ways he never could. Surly, his siblings where worth much more than he was. He knew it. They knew it. Everyone knew it. Why would Mabel risk her life climbing up here for someone like him? 

Mabel bumped his shoulder. “Cheer up!” She commanded. “Those toffee peanuts are not gonna eat themselves,” 

He stayed silent. 

“Hey, is something wrong?” 

“Do you guys even need me?” Stan asked. “I’m not really good for anything. The only thing I’m good at is bein’ Ford’s brother, but now he’s got you two, so…” 

“Stan,” Ford whimpered, placing a hand on his twin's shoulder. “You’re plenty good at things,” 

“Your good at being my brother, and your good at being Dipper’s brother,” Mabel listed. 

“Dude, it’s ok to feel useless,” Dipper sat down, grabbed the toffee peanut pack from Stan, and pulled it open for him. “I feel like that every so often, and I don’t even know what happened to  _ make  _ me feel that way,” He handed his brother the peanuts. Stan took the bag, but didn’t eat any yet. 

Dipper scratched the side of his arm uncomfortably. He’d found someplace else to hide the tube from the rest of his family. Some place where nobody would look. The memories it brought him; memories of Mabel bleeding. He didn’t know what that meant, and he hated it. 

“But we do need you,” Dipper assured him, placing a hand on Stan’s shoulder. “I mean, we do need a captain of our boat when we finally sail away from this place,” 

Stan stared at Dipper, stars in his eyes, and his mouth agape, “Me? Captain? But I’m not even— I’m not—, why me?!” 

“Because, the captain of the ship has to be a good leader," Ford told him, as if it was ridiculous he'd even asked such a question. As if it had _always_ been him who would captain their ship.   
"And a good leader has to be brave, smart, tough,  _ and _ compassionate. A collection of everything awesome about everyone else!” 

“I mean, come on, who else would it be?” Mabel teased. “These two nerds couldn’t give commands if their life depended on it! And I’d rather be lookout anyway. Something tells me that being lookout is my destiny,” 

Stan laughed, feeling much better. He grabbed a handful of the toffee peanuts and stuffed them into his mouth. “I’ll be the best captain you scallawags can ever ask for!” He promised. 

The four kids sat on the roof, enjoying their snacks. Eventually, their father would come unlock the door, only to see both sets of twins enjoying snacks and talking. Eventually, the kids would be drawn away from their fantasies, where dreamland would be replaced by homework and the drudgery of school and real life. Eventually, they’d have to figure out why Dipper and Mabel were there. 

Eventually, Dipper would have to face that memory of blood and broken mirrors. And so would Mabel, and Stanford, and Stanley. 

But for now, they sat on the roof, eating their snacks, and dreaming about sailing away from glass shard beach together. Because there was nothing that would worry them. 

The four of them had each other, after all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lwt hpvv iek eui wf nvgmec odmwk  
> c mtugdc ljai kszrgv lpal  
> uj zg wpa la wsxe wqk reekln  
> il flw devqfury je bckf fw
> 
> So, that's the end of the first story in this collection. 
> 
> And it's literally the only one of my Fic's I've ever completed. I'm so proud of myself. 
> 
> This chapter was mostly just sibling fluff, with a hint of angst to come. Dipper's hiding things, Filbrick's playing favorites, and Stan's self-esteem issues are beginning to blossom. All four of these kid's are train-wrecks in their own right, and I'm excited to see where they take me. 
> 
> The song for this fic was Escapism; a Steven Universe song. You may find a lot of the songs from this fic are going to be Steven Universe songs. 
> 
> Next story, Dipper and Mabel go to school for the first time they can remember, with nothing but basic instincts to navigate them. Can they handle it?


End file.
